Guilty verdict caps an emotional trial in toddler-death case

STEVENS POINT – The courtroom was silent Friday morning as Portage County Circuit Court Judge John Finn read the guilty verdict, but several in the audience were struggling to hold back their sobs.

A 12-person jury on Friday found Reymundo Perez guilty of killing his girlfriend’s 2-year-old son by slamming him to the ground twice. Perez, 28, of Bancroft was found guilty of first-degree reckless homicide and child abuse causing great harm. His trial started June 3 in Portage County Circuit Court.

Perez appeared emotionless as Finn read the guilty verdict. Members of the audience were in tears, struggling to keep their emotions inaudible. Finn sternly reminded audience members before bringing in the jury that he would tolerate no emotional outbursts, crying or cheering after the verdict was read.

The verdict concluded a nine-day trial to determine whether Perez had killed 2-year-old Felix Villa-Martinez, the son of his then-girlfriend Beatriz Villa-Martinez. Perez faces up to 60 years in prison for the first-degree reckless homicide charge and as much as 15 years for the child abuse charge. Attorneys will meet Monday to discuss a sentencing date.

According to a criminal complaint, Perez was baby-sitting Felix in his Bancroft mobile home while the child’s mother was at work.

Prosecutors said that on Oct. 26, 2011, after Felix fell and was crying, Perez shook the child and slammed him to the ground twice. Felix fell silent after the second time and later lost consciousness, prosecutors said. When Perez couldn’t wake the toddler, he dialed 911.

Felix died two days later at Ministry Saint Joseph’s Hospital in Marshfield.

During her closing arguments, Portage County Assistant District Attorney Veronica Isherwood played video from an interview with Portage County Sheriff’s Office investigators in which Perez confessed to the crime, demonstrating to investigators how he slammed the child onto the floor.

Defense attorney Gary Schmaus and members of Perez’s family declined comment following the verdict. Schmaus stood with Perez’s family members outside the courthouse, comforting many of them who were in tears.

The jury didn’t accept Schmaus’ argument that it was Felix’s mother, not Perez, who inflicted the injuries that caused the 2-year-old’s death. Schamus said in his closing remarks Thursday that investigators coerced a confession out of Perez and that Perez had no known history of abusing the boy, whereas his mother did.

“It’s an uncontradicted fact that she abused him again and again,” Schmaus said Thursday. “It was brutal and in my opinion it became lethal. All because he cried.”

Isherwood said the case was one of the most emotional she has tried.

“This is the first time I cried after a verdict was read,” Isherwood said.

Isherwood, who was assigned the case even before Felix was taken off of life support, said she spent weeks of nights and weekends preparing for the trial so that Felix’s killer could be brought to justice. Schmaus’ defense strategy, in which he accused Felix’s mother instead of Perez of the crime, angered the prosecutor.

“That made me furious,” Isherwood said. “She is the victim here. As the mother of the victim, she is the one I was fighting for, just like I was fighting for Felix.”

B.C. Kowalski can be reached at 715-345-2251. Find him on Twitter as @BCreporter.